2008 Medallas de Cortez Winners Named

Radio Ink presented the 2008 Medallas de Cortez for excellence in Hispanic Radio on May 20, at the Hispanic Radio Conference at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables-Miami. The awards are named in honor of Raoul Cortez, who in 1946 founded KCOR/San Antonio, the United States' first Spanish-language radio station.

Raul Alarcon Sr., founder and Director Emeritus of Spanish Broadcasting System, was presented with the Medallas de Cortez Lifetime Achievement Award. Alarcon left Cuba and the radio company he had founded following Fidel Castro's rise to power. Arriving in the United States, he re-established his radio career in New York , and in 1983, he purchased his first station. Twenty-five years later, SBS owns 21 radio stations, in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Puerto Rico, San Francisco, and Chicago and is one of the largest and most prominent broadcasting companies in America. Alarcon served as President of the board of directors of SBS until November 1999. Today, SBS is run by his son, Raul Alarcon Jr.

The 2008 Medallas de Cortez winners:

Broadcaster of the Year

Gary Stone
Univision Radio
Dallas, TX

Station of the Year
Markets 1-10

WSKQ-FM
Spanish Broadcasting System
New York, NY

Markets 11+

WRUM-FM
Clear Channel Radio
Orlando, FL

General Manager of the Year
Markets 1-10

Karl Meyer
KSSE/KLLY
Entravision Communications
Los Angeles, CA

Markets 11+

Pat Costa
WNNW/WCEC/WCCM
Costa Eagle Broadcasting
Boston, MA

Sales Manager of the Year
Markets 1-10

Juan Mendez
KSAH/KLEY/KRIO
BMP Radio
San Antonio, TX

Markets 11+

RosAnna Salcido
KBBX-FM
Connoisseur Media
Omaha, NE

Programmer of the Year
Markets 1-10

Pio Ferro
Spanish Broadcasting System
Los Angeles, CA

Markets 11+

Aracely Rivera
WLZL-FM
CBS Radio
Washington, DC

Personality of the Year
Markets 1-10

Maria Marin
ABC Radio Networks
New York, NY

Markets 11+

Greg Rodriguez
KTAM-AM
Brazos Valley Communications
Bryan, TX

Marketer of the Year

Laura Hagan
President
Univision Radio National Sales
New York, NY